Marking the first anniversary of the AR.Drone 2.0 since last CES, Parrot has announced that it'll be offering an optional GPS flight recorder module as well as a bigger battery at some point this year. The former dongle simply plugs into the flying vehicle via the USB port, and it can record the flying parameters onto its 4GB memory, which can then be reproduced on the 3D AR.Drone Academy map. As for the larger battery, it'll come with 1,500mAh worth of juice which is 50 percent more than the original one (hence a flight time of up to 18 minutes now), though we'd imagine most hardcore enthusiasts have already modded third-party batteries for the power-hungry copter.

On the software side, the AR.Drone 2.0 will soon be upgraded with a "Director Mode" for programming movements (including traveling, pan, crane and more) for more creative filming. Additionally there will be an "AR.Race 2.0" solo or multiplayer racing game, as well as an "AR.Rescue 2.0" adventure game in augmented reality. Sounds fun, and we'll be able to see the drone in action during our live CES interview with CEO Henri Seydoux this Thursday, so stay tuned.